Montreal area asexuals and allies will be meeting at 17:30 (5:30 pm) on Saturday, September 13th at Bardeco restaurant located at 1676 Lincoln (corner St-Mathieu). The closest metro station is Guy-Concordia.

What to expect at the meeting?* Introductions* Discussion of what we hope to get out of this meeting* Thoughts on possible outreach to Montreal's asexual community. Should we try organizing future meetings/events? How would we publicize such meetings? What do we want to accomplish: increase awareness of asexuality? Facilitate social networking between asexuals? Other goals?

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Opposition: Marriage is defined as the union between a man and a woman.

Equality: The definition of marriage has changed throughout the course of history. Biblical marriage supported polygamy where men could take on several wives and concubines. Marriage has historically been an institution where a man would be possessive over his wife and she would be subservient. Today we see marriage in the context of loving and financially sound relationships, there is no legitimate reason to hold back on allowing this option for all interested parties.

Opposition: If you open up marriage, others will demand it as well and society will tumble.

Equality: Marriage is currently available for two people and gay marriage activists only seek to continue this tradition and allow 2 people of the same-sex to have this right. This line of reasoning by the opposition is a scare tactic to suggest that this paves the way for polygamy, beastiality, and pedophilia. This is far from the truth since those are illegal and not consensual. Two same-sex individuals committing to each other is vastly different.

Opposition: Why can't you just settle on a domestic partnership or civil union and leave marriage sacred?

Equality: Domestic partnerships and civil unions are inferior to the status of civil marriage. Marriage provides full benefits while civil unions lack in hundreds of benefits and rights that are afforded to heterosexual couples. Marriage is also a universal concept, if a same-sex couple is civil-unionized one place, and they move to another country that does not have civil unions, their partnership will not be recognized. Marriage is a concept that is understood internationally, and LGBT people should not be given second class citizenship.

Opposition: My religion is against same-sex marriage.

Equality: There is no reference in the bible to same-sex marriage. That being said, everyone is entitled to their religious beliefs and each and every house of worship can decide whether or not to honor same-sex relationships. Religion however is separate from government and gays and lesbians should be recognized under a contract of civil marriage.

Opposition: Two men or two women cannot procreate and create a family.

Equality: There are also infertile straight couples, and those who marry and do not want children. Providing government benefits and a ceremony to honor two people who have committed to one another has nothing to do with procreation. While it is true that gays and lesbians cannot procreate, they can choose options such as insemination, donor sperm/egg, and adoption of children.

Around the world there have been major advances for minorities and people subject to discrimination. From England, to Israel, Pakistan and beyond we have seen women Prime Ministers and leaders. In the United States we had John F. Kennedy become the first Catholic president. Currently in the United States the democratic party has nominated the first African-American to be a presidential contender. The republican party has also nominated Sarah Palin a female governor of Alaska to be the Vice Presidential selection.

Now in France under the socialist party Bertrard Delanoe an openly gay man is running for Prime Minister. We have seen transgender politicians in Italy's cabinet, gay men and women within the U.S. congress, and state houses, and LGBT people throughout the world holding significant positions of power.

So I pose the question... Within your respective country, and most readers here are from the U.S. so (please specify) do you think your country is ready for a gay prime minister/president?

A "bisexual" is a person who is sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of both sexes. Bisexual orientations lie on a continuum, like all of sexuality, some people lie more towards the heterosexual persuasion while others closer to the homosexual persuasion.

Friday, August 29, 2008

"Stonewall" refers to the historic event and location at a gay bar/inn in New York City that was raided by the police on June 28th, 1969. Police raids were common on homosexual establishments, but the "stonewall riots" were significant because gay men, and transgender women stood up to police brutality by fighting back. It has become a defining moment in queer history where LGBTQ people decided to fight back, get political, and demand social justice with actual results and community unity.

Inspired by a right-wing blog I read that was advocating for their readers to request "ex-gay" books for their local libraries I decided to post a reverse entry.

Your local library is about serving the community, they want to carry books and videos that their residents want.

They have a suggestion box or email form, why not go ahead and list some good queer political books, coming out resource guides, and queer history books to be added to the shelves?

In addition to requesting new books, make sure to take out the existing books on queer culture so that the libraries do not discontinue these books.

Many libraries have been forced to place LGBTQ books on high shelves due to community outcry, making it harder or virtually impossible for people to have access to them. Speak to the head librarian and demand that the books are visible and available for those who want them.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Below is a video compilation released by the Human Rights Campaign which shows friends and colleagues of Barack and Michelle Obama. They discuss their experiences with them and their hopes for a brighter future.

"From coast to coast, we are coming closer to achieving true marriage equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans. But we need your help to fight efforts now underway to deny marriage rights to same-sex couples, including state constitutional amendments and federal laws that deny benefits to GLBT couples.

"Klinefelter Syndrome" is when some intersex people have atleast two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome. It occurs in approximately 1 out of every 500 biological males. The effects are small testicles and reduced fertility.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

UPDATE (8/27/08) - According to the Miami Herald, NBC President Gary Zenkel apologized over the lack of coverage on Matthew Mitcham's orientation, life story, and partner.

"We regret that we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham's story. We apologize for this unintentional omission."

Originally posted on: 8/25/08

NBC, the network which covered the Beijing Olympics has failed to mention that gold winning medalist Mathew Mitcham is openly gay. They also neglected to show his partner who embraced him after he won. Mitcham's story is a powerful one, having previously struggled with depression and leaving the sport he has made an amazing comeback. NBC shows other peoples stories as well as their partners and loved ones. Is this homophobia on the part of NBC or are they just afraid of backlash from the right-wing groups?

Michelle Obama the wife of U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama has addressed the Democratic National Committee's LGBT Caucus at the convention. Below is a clip of the short speech she gave to LGBT delegates present at the convention.

In response to the hundreds of thousands of anti-gay marriage yard signs going up in California... Build A Sign is giving away FREE signs, you can place your very own message of equality! (The picture posted is not the sign you would get, you would customize your own sign).

"The Austin-based Build A Sign are giving away 100,000 self-customized yard signs to people who want to get involved in this year's voter issues.

"This is a historic election year for our country and, as a sign company, we're really excited about having an opportunity to get involved in a meaningful way. I've read articles about people who have already donated cash to their candidate's campaign and are frustrated about having to also pay for a yard sign. To us, this giveaway is a great way to make sure that those people still stay involved in the national dialogue in a visible way, but now their sign can be unique and it's free! "

The signs come on 18"x 24" corrugated plastic. One free per customer, shipping is $5, extra signs are $5. You can also make your own bumpers stickers at 10 for $2.50."

So folks, I decided to change blog spotlight to web spotlight so that I could also highlight LGBTQAI websites that may be of interest to the community. I still will focus primarily on fellow bloggers, since I am biased towards blogs ;)

Today's web spotlight and shout goes to Wicked Gay Blog. "A gay blog from a Boston 30-something year old guy on all things life, pop culture, politics, people, places, hot men, and of course music - all with a twisted gay slant!" I highly recommend this blog, it has the latest on everything and its a fun and easy read.

A "Twink" is a term used among gay & bisexual males to describe young men in their late teens or early twenties who are slim and have little to no body hair. The term originates from the snack food twinkie, which is tanned on the outside and has cream filling. The connotation was that "twinks" are delicious, but have little substance and are not considered for long-term relationships. The term can be used pejoratively in the gay community but is mostly a neutral term used for identification purposes.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Ms. Lapriss Gilbert an African-American Lesbian was subject to discrimination yesterday while going to the Social Security office. A federal guard hired by Homeland Security objected to her lesbian.com t-shirt on the account that it was "offensive." Lesbian.com is an education and resource site for lesbian identified women.

The unnamed guard is contracted by Paragon Systems. Ms. Gilbert along with the ACLU are filing a lawsuit against the company. Please urge the company to fire this homophobic "security agent."

"Right-wing groups are once again attacking our community. This time they’re flooding the governor’s office with calls and emails, asking him to veto legislation that would honor late civil rights pioneer Harvey Milk, who was one of the first openly gay elected officials in our nation and a beacon of hope for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

AB 2567, authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and sponsored by Equality California, creates a day of special significance commemorating Milk’s birthday. It would add Harvey Milk Day to a list of other special days designated to commemorate those individuals and communities that have helped to further California’s legacy as a land of promise and opportunity. Milk, a San Francisco supervisor, was assassinated in 1978, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. Both were murdered by a former city supervisor who was motivated by his fear and hatred of the forces of change and progress at San Francisco City Hall. While in office, Milk championed the first city ordinance protecting LGBT people from discrimination. He also led the fight against a discriminatory ballot initiative that would have banned all gays and lesbians from teaching in California schools. Let the governor know that Californians value the contributions of Harvey Milk, who gave his life for the causes of freedom and equality. Email him today and urge him to sign AB 2567."

Right-wing groups are upset over Hallmark's decision to carry same-sex marriage greeting cards. They have issued an alert to their constituents to boycott the greeting card chain over this decision. Please support Hallmark, buy the "gay" cards, and thank the company for celebrating our marriages.

Monday, August 25, 2008

"FABGLITTER" was coined by the now defunct magazine Anything That Moves. It stands for "Fetish, Allies, Bisexuals, Gay, Lesbians, Intersex, Transgender, Transsexual Engendering Revolution." The acronym has never made its way into common usage.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

UPDATE: The AALS has joined in boycotting the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel over its owners donation to anti same-sex marriage amendment in California. Thank you for joining Californians Against Hate & Queers United in demanding a change of location. The statement below was released on the AALS website.

"The AALS 2009 Annual Meeting will take place January 6-10, 2009, in San Diego, California. Several years ago the Association booked rooms at the San Diego Marriott and the Manchester Grand Hyatt. In the last few weeks there have been suggestions that the Association should boycott the Hyatt because its owner has contributed money to a ballot initiative designed to overturn the California Supreme Court's May decision in favor of same-sex marriage. In addressing this issue, the Executive Committee has sought to ensure that the Annual Meeting serves the needs of all participants to the maximum extent possible given our contractual obligations to the hotels.

Our contracts with the hotels provide that each hotel reserve a block of guest rooms, and leave to the AALS the choice of where to locate the AALS Registration, Exhibit Hall, Section Programs, Presidential Programs, and House of Representatives meetings. We will honor our contracts with both hotels, and we have exercised our option to hold all AALS events at the Marriott to ensure the maximum participation by our members."

The Association of American Law Schools is scheduled to hold their annual meeting Jan 6-10, 2009 in California at the San Diego Manchester Grand Hyatt. The hotel has been a site of controversy and protest because of the owner, Mr. Manchester's financial contribution to the anti-marriage amendment (proposition 8) in California. Gay rights backers in addition to dozens of legal organizations who were to be at the conference are threatening to boycott the conference if an alternative venue is not chosen.

Coming out is a personal and/or political move to share our respective identities with our friends, family, acquaintances and the public at large. It is a very tough journey to admit to oneself, and it is an even greater battle to disclose publicly. People come out because they want to live honest and open lives without having to hide a big portion of their lives from others.

Do you have a coming out story to share? If you are not out, perhaps you can disclose your current struggle or choice to remain in the closet. Finally, if you are a straight ally, please let us know about a coming out story of someone close to you, or a situation where you had to come out as a straight ally in a crowd that was hostile to sexual & gender minorities.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

The openly gay and openly gorgeous ;) diver, Matthew Mitcham of Australia has made gay and Olympic history today. He has won the gold medal in the men's 10m platform. The competition was a shock and a huge upset to his close in score, Chinese competitors. He has produced the highest scoring dive in Olympic history! Mitcham was cheered on by his partner Lachlan courtesy of a Johnson & Johnson Olympic sponsorship.

Let's take a closer look at where Senator Biden stands on LGBT issues.

PRO's:*Supports repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

"Our allies -- the British, the French, all our major allies -- gays openly serve. I don't know the last time an American soldier said to a backup from a Brit, "Hey, by the way, let me check. Are you gay? Are you straight?" This is ridiculous."

*Supports civil unions between same-sex couples.

"Well, I think it probably is because social mores change. But I don't think the government can dictate the definition of marriage to religious institutions. But government does have an obligation to guarantee that every individual is free of discrimination. And there's a distinction. I think government should not be able to dictate to religions the definition of marriage, but on a civil side, government has the obligation to strip away every vestige of discrimination as to what individuals are able to do in terms of their personal conduct."

*Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.

*In favor of same-sex couples adoption rights.

*Voted YES to add sexual orientation to list of hate crimes.

*Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation.

CON's*Voted for the Defense of Marriage Act. (Current position on that piece of legislation unknown)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

"Heterosexism" is when the automatic assumption is made that everyone is heterosexual and that male-female coupling is the norm. Common instances of heterosexism occur when people pre-suppose that one is married, has an opposite sex partner, and/or are interested in the opposite sex.

The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal has been debating whether gay/bisexual men should be allowed to donate blood. The case was brought to the tribunal because currently the Red Cross the largest national blood collection agency enforces a ban on donations by men who have had sex with men, and people feel this is tantamount to discrimination.

"The state’s largest GLBT Advocacy group, Equality Maine, has endorsed Tom Allen (D-Portland) for Senate. Allen, a current U.S. Representative, is challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor.)

Equality Maine’s executive director, Betsy Smith, said in a release:

“Throughout his long career, Congressman Allen has supported fairness and equality while opposing discrimination. His voting record on LGBT issues is exceptional. He has worked to eliminate discrimination in jobs, housing, public accommodations and financial matters, and we look forward to working with him to win fully-inclusive federal employment non-discrimination legislation.”

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

"Uranian" is a term that was historically used to discuss gender variant males and females. It described someone who was considered trapped in the wrong body. The term was adopted by early gay liberationists who had visions of a classless society and one free of gender barriers.

The San Diego County Employees Retirement Association is scheduled to hold their conference Oct 12-14. The amount of money from the conference will generate $50,000 for the Manchester Grand Hyatt whose owner Doug Manchester donated $125,000 to help defeat same-sex marriage in California.

Contact SDCERA and tell them to use a different venue. They have people they represent who are LGBT and their money should not goto this anti-gay establishment.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

"Femme" is a term used in the queer community to describe feminine traits an individual exhibits. The term is very popular among lesbian/bisexual women, but also has its place among gay/bisexual males. There is a growing movement of young people who dislike the terms "femme" and its masculine counterpart butch because they feel that they embrace gender stereotypes and are limiting in nature.

UPDATE: I received an email from Greg Jarret anchor at Fox News, saying he apologized for his transphobic remarks on air 4 days ago. Thanks for taking action to hold the media accountable. Below is a clip of the apology.

Tyra Banks made history this week by announcing that her show America's Next Top Model will feature Isis a transgender model among the contestants.

Fox News (the gay & trans bashing network) can't seem to go a week without making provocative comments about the LGBT community. Below watch as Greg Jarrett anchor of Fox News discusses the upcoming show with Ian Drew of Us Weekly. The conversation is transphobic, and inappropriate. Jarrett continually makes references to Isis as a she/he, him/her and focuses the conversation on the irrelevant genitals of the contestant. He also goes on to say he was "fooled" by her. This conversation is completely trans-misogynist. See for yourself.

GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has issued an action alert asking the community to please contact Fox News Channel and call on them to apologize for these obnoxious, insulting and dehumanizing comments.

Monday, August 18, 2008

A "Bi-curious" person is someone who does not identify as bisexual, yet is questioning or experimenting with their sexuality. Usually the term is used to describe heterosexuals who are interested in exploring an emotional and/or sexual relationship with the same-sex, but occasionally it has been used for homosexuals who are interested in exploring the bisexual option.

"The Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay group, announced its first wave of endorsements for incumbent candidates in the House and Senate.

“We’re proud to endorse these six lawmakers for re-election,” said Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon. “They’re strong allies and they have excellent records on issues of basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans. They have stood with us. We are proud to stand with them during the upcoming campaign. We look forward to helping them win re-election.

“These members of Congress represent the future of the Republican Party,” said Sammon. “They support a unifying agenda and they believe, as we do, that the Republican Party must be a big tent party that welcomes everyone.”

More information on these lawmakers:

Senator Gordon Smith is one of Log Cabin’s strongest allies in the U.S. Senate. He has fought for basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans—leading the fight in the Senate for hate crimes and HIV/AIDS legislation. Smith co-sponsored the Early Treatment for HIV Act and the Matthew Shepard (hate crimes) Act. He has also led the way in fighting for basic fairness in tax legislation, recently introducing the Tax Equity for Domestic Partner and Health Plan Beneficiaries Act and the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act.

Senator Susan Collins is a leader on issues important to gay and lesbian Americans. She is a strong supporter of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and is a co-sponsor of the Matthew Sheppard Act. Sen. Collins opposed the anti-family federal marriage amendment and has also been a leader in the Senate on HIV/AIDS funding. Recently, Sen. Collins pressed Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen on the harmful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. During a Senate hearing, Collins expressed growing concern that the loss of gay service members under the law is harming our nation’s security.

Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack stood with Log Cabin and opposed the anti-family federal marriage amendment. She also voted for the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Plus, she’s a leading Congressional advocate for sound HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention policies. She’s a co-sponsor of the Early Treatment for HIV Act and led efforts in the House to re-authorize the Ryan White CARE Act.

Congressman Mark Kirk voted against the anti-family federal marriage amendment. He is the lead Republican co-sponsor of the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a co-sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act. She has provided a powerful conservative voice in the fight to end the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. She voted against the anti-family federal marriage amendment. She also supports the hate crimes bill, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Early Treatment for HIV Act. Most recently, Ros-Lehtinen has spoken out forcefully against human rights violations of LGBT citizens abroad, particularly in radical Islamic regimes. She has also urged fair treatment of gay and lesbian employees of the U.S. State Department.

Congressman Christopher Shays is the lead Republican co-sponsor of the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He is also a strong supporter of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act and a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He voted against the anti-family federal marriage amendment and is a strong supporter of sound HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention policies.

“We’re proud to endorse these six lawmakers for re-election,” said Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon. “They’re strong allies and they have excellent records on issues of basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans. They have stood with us. We are proud to stand with them during the upcoming campaign. We look forward to helping them win re-election."

Sunday, August 17, 2008

"Polysexuality" refers to people who are emotionally and/or sexually attracted to more than one gender. They do not choose the term bisexual because "bi" connotates only two genders. "Polysexuals" should not be confused with pansexuals because pan means all while poly means many and while there are some similar overlaps, a polysexual may be attracted to some gender variant people but not have the capability or desire to be with some others.

Throughout the state there are numerous ways to help volunteer to defeat the upcoming marriage amendment that would take away the right of same-sex couples to marry. There are opportunities to help with phone banking, recruiting, and data entry for the No On Prop 8 Campaign. Please see the locations, schedule and contact info below...Long Beach Events

Call (202) 577.3139 to RSVP for a volunteer shift in Long Beach.

Weekly NO on 8, Equality For All Volunteer Schedules

LONG BEACH

* Tuesdays 6:00-9:00pm Voter Recruitment Phone Banks

* Thursdays 6:00-9:00pm Voter Recruitment Phone Banks

* Sundays 5:00-8:00pm Voter ID Phone Banks

Los Angeles Events

Weekly NO on 8, Equality For All Volunteer Schedules

HOLLYWOODCall (323) 646.6958 to RSVP for volunteer shifts in Hollywood.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The heterosexual majority often argue that gays are bent on publicly displaying their sexual orientation. You often hear remarks about pride parades, "why must they parade about their sexuality, we don't have a straight pride parade." We retort back by saying that our sexual and gender identities are only one aspect of our lives and that we are varied individuals with many characteristics that make up our identities and personalities.

Who is right? Are queer lives so heavily focused on identity or are they truly only just a sample of our greater selves?

When our lives are broken down into important spheres there are some commonalities we all share. With regards to family and friends, our identities can come into play because we want to be open with them about who we are and whom we love. When it comes to religion, many people feel that their religious background has left them feeling isolated and abandoned, and so religion and identity intersect. When it comes to politics we are not a given a fair shake, and so politics becomes an arena where we can advocate and demand equal rights for ourselves, our partners, and our families. At school or the workplace we want to know if our peers/co-workers will accept us, and if our jobs and our positions are in jeopardy. When we venture out into new areas we want to know whether the environment is safe and affirming or whether we could get attacked or victimized for simply holding hands with a partner, or for dressing/acting a certain way.

There is no doubt about the fact that our queer identities are complex and very significant to our lives. The question is how significant are they and to what degree do our respective identities enter other areas of our life? Feel free to weigh in.

"Coming Out" is a personal as well as sometimes political/symbolic action on the part of sexual and gender minorities. It is about the public expression of ones identity and the desire to live openly, honestly, and without fear. The coming out process is a difficult one and a life-long journey, it is about being true to yourself as well others.

Friday, August 15, 2008

"There appears to be little in the way of a comprehensive cisgender (non transgender) privilege list. These lists are generally written in the first person relative to having the privilege. Number #1 speaks to both heterosexual and cisgender privilege. The remainder of the list focuses on cisgender privilege."

Please read and re-post this list to make people aware of the hardships often faced by transgender individuals that cisgender people take for granted on a daily basis.

1. It is unlikely that I will be ostracized by my family and friends, fired from my job, evicted from my home, given substandard medical care, suffer violent or sexual abuse, ridiculed by the media, or preached against by religious organizations simply because of my professed identity or perceived incongruent gendered behaviors or characteristics. 2. I can be confident that people will not call me by a different name or use improper pronouns. 3. I never suffered the indignation of "holding it", when both functional and unoccupied public restrooms are available. In fact, I don't need to be concerned about public facilities segregated by sex. 4. If I am institutionalized, I don't have to worry about being housed in the wrong section of a facility segregated by sex. 5. I am not denied entrance to appropriate services or events that are segregated by sex. 6. My childhood innocence was not interrupted with desperate prayers to a divinity begging to wake up the opposite sex. 7. I never grieve about my lost childhood and adolescence because I was born the opposite sex. 8. I will only experience puberty once. 9. I never worry about potential lovers shifting instantly from amorous to disdain and even violence because of my genitals. 10. I am unlikely to be questioned about my genitals, even less likely to be touched inappropriately or asked to see them. 11. It is unlikely that I would risk my health by avoiding the medical profession for fear of discovery. 12. I never considered hiding my body parts by binding or tucking. 13. It is unlikely that I would consider changing my voice. 14. If I have a professionally recognized and diagnosed condition, I am unlikely to be excluded from medical insurance coverage. 15. As a man, I am more likely to look my age, and have a body similar in size and shape to other men. 16. As a man, I am more likely to be satisfied with the functionality of my genitals. 17. As a man, I am more likely able to father children . 18. As a woman, I am more likely to have a body similar in size and shape to other women. 19. As a woman, I am unlikely to lose my hair before middle age. 20. As a woman, I am more likely able to conceive and bear children. 21. As a woman, I don't have to dilate the rest of my life. 22. I am more likely able to achieving orgasm. 23. I will likely have $50,000 or more to spend or save for retirement. 24. I can't imagine spending months and $1000s of dollars on a therapist so they can tell me something I already knew. 25. If I am physically healthy, I don't think about having a hysterectomy, a mastectomy, massive hair removal, contra hormone therapy, vocal surgery, facial reassignment surgery, or genital reassignment surgery. 26. I have a better chance of reaching old age without taking my own life. 27. At my funeral, it is unlikely that my family would present me crossdressed against my living wishes. 28. I never worry about passing gender wise. I am oblivious to the consequences of someone failing to do so, and consequently loosing my cisgender (non transgender) privilege. In fact, I have the privilege of being completely unaware of my own cisgender privilege.

"Same Gender Loving" or SGL for short is a term coined within the African-American LGBT community. The term is preferred because it is seen as separate and distinct from queer slang that is seen as white dominated. The term is also popular among people of color because it emphasizes emotional relationships and not just relationships purely based on sexuality.

The following petition is protesting Dr. Kenneth Zucker's invite to Speak at Royal Society of Medicine Conference.

"Please sign the petition below to protest the horrific decision to invite trans-reparatist quack Dr. Kenneth Zucker to address attendees at a conference on gender-variant youth in the UK. First he was invited to sit on the committee to oversee revisions to the GID diagnosis in the DSM, now this? When will this universally reviled doctor in the trans community stop being rewarded by the mainstream for his dangerous and egregious actions? Enough is enough!"

Here is the text of the petition and a link to it:

"We the undersigned wish to protest in the strongest possible terms against the inclusion of Dr. Kenneth Zucker in the Royal Society of Medicine's conference on "Gender Identity Disorder in Adolescents". We believe that his methods are harmful to young people and that his theories on transgenderism are both outdated and rejected by most of the psychological community as they are based on personal bias and flawed methodology.

We respectfully ask that you replace him with a contributor to the conference who does not give such offence to the transgendered community."

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Today's blog spotlight and shout goes to The Outskirts. The blog is written by a self-proclaimed lesbian Buddhist from Philly. She describes herself as a "hostess" and you never what kind of LGBT stuff she may serve up on her blog.

"Shemale" is a term mostly used as a slur against transgender, and pre-operative transsexuals. A "shemale" is a biological male who has gone through partial transition to present as female. They usually have breasts but still maintain male genitalia. The term rarely but sometimes is used to describe intersex people as well. As with other reclaimed words, "shemale" has been used by some trans people as a form of self-empowerment.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

First off I want to thank all my loyal readers and dedicated queer activists who are truly helping to build a safe community here on the net and beyond. Each one of you has brought so much insight and joy and truly help enrich this blog as well as many of the blogs you all write.

In an effort to make Queers United better I would love to get some feedback, positive, negative, neutral, any and all constructive criticism is welcome. What do you like? What do you hate? What would you like to see more or less of?

I like to think of this blog as first and foremost a community, one whereby we all learn and grow from one another but also fight for each others rights.

Moving forward, would you all be interested if I added a message board feature so we can all engage in further conversation on a plethora of topics? What about having specific nights of the week with specified queer topics in a chatroom setting?

When I initially created the blog a few months ago, I just thought I would post action alerts so we can be a more powerful voice but as I and this blog have grown I also find it an opportunity to express myself and learn from you all. I am grateful to everyone who contributes and would love to hear your ideas big or small for moving forward and bringing about more community and a true advancement and liberation for all queer-identified individuals. Thanks!

"Homophile" is an alternative to the word homosexual. Dissected the word means same-sex love. The term was commonly used for queer liberation groups in the 1950's and beyond, but has since rapidly begun to fade with the replacement words being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer.

Today is historic as openly gay Mr. Jared Polis has won the democratic primary in Colorado's District 2 against his opponents Ms. Joan Fitz-Gerald and Mr. Will Shafroth. The upcoming election in November is merely a gesture in this heavily democratic district. Mr. Jared Polis goes on to become the first openly gay person to be elected to congress and the third out representative efter Barney Frank (MA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI). Sexual orientation was a non-issue in this race, and Mr. Polis ran openly, honestly and on a platform of equal rights for LGBT people. Congrats to him and his partner Marlin Reiss of 4 1/2 years, a self proclaimed animal activist and supporter of Friends of Jared for congress.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

"Asexuals" simply put do not experience any or much degree of sexual attraction. Some asexual's have some desire for aspects of sexuality while others have no desire to engage in intercourse whatsoever. Some asexuals do enjoy romantic relationships and identify as straight, gay, bisexual, or pansexual while others feel no need for affectional orientation.

Equality California now lets those who register below create their own internet fundraising page to help defeat proposition 8. They give you the tools to raise money online or to host an event to stop the attempt to take away same-sex marriage in California. California resident or not, we should all be invested in protecting the rights of our brothers and sisters, so get on board!

Monday, August 11, 2008

The "Bear" movement is a subculture among gay/bi males that has its own set of identity, codes, and culture. "Bears" project an image of masculinity and embrace men who have body hair, and/or are heavy-set. They are counter-culture from the gay stereotype which is that of femininity, flamboyance, and a thin/smooth physique.

"The Equality Ride is a traveling forum that gives young adults the chance to deconstruct injustice and the rhetoric that sustains it. The idea is this. We get on a bus and journey to various institutions of higher learning. Through informal conversation and educational programming we explore concepts of diversity, weighing the effects of both inclusive and exclusive ideologies. More practically, we share and gain insights about how our beliefs influence policy and culture, thereby impacting society. Our goal is to carefully and collectively examine the intersection wherein faith meets gender and human sexuality. Such discourse plays an essential role in creating a safe learning and living environment for everyone.

The 2008 Equality Ride begins in October. Get to know more about each member of the Equality Ride and read about how you can sponsor him or her by clicking a name below.

In order to make participation in the Equality Ride possible for all young activists, Soulforce Q covers 100% of the training, transportation, accomodation, food, materials, and Equality Ride apparel for the two-month journey. Your generous donation provides for hotel rooms, meals, books and many other Rider needs. The 2008 Equality Ride would not happen without your financial support. Thank you for fueling our work to move society and faith forward by sponsoring our 2008 Equality Riders!"

"Fairness for All Families and the VoteNoOn2.com campaign need you to volunteer at the polls on Primary Day - August 26th - and help defeat Amendment #2, the so-called "marriage protection" amendment.

Primary Day offers one of the best opportunities we'll have to educate voters. With widespread participation by you, your friends and family, we will take full advantage of this chance to talk to voters face-to-face about the harmful consequences of Amendment #2, the deceptively named "marriage protection" amendment.

Of course this amendment doesn't protect anyone's marriage. However, it does take away protections and benefits like healthcare from all unmarried couples - gay and straight.

Register today for a morning (7:00-10:00 am), afternoon (11:00 am-2:00 pm), evening (4:00-7:00 pm) shift, or all three! We'll provide you with training and the materials to have a successful Primary Day experience."

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Never one to be shy about tackling the so called "homosexual agenda," conservative news channel Fox News discussed the controversial song "I kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. They title the segment "Unholy Melody" and talk about how Katy Perry formerly a Christian singer, can no longer be considered a Christian. "It shows girls you got to do something really naughty to get noticed". I didn't know that a girl on girl kiss was considered "unholy" anti-christian, and "naughty". The anchor goes on to say "What kind of message of confusion does this send to kids?"

Fox News is right to address that its wrong that our culture has a double standard when it comes to two females kissing versus two males kissing. They are also correct in pointing out that it is blatantly misogynist for our culture to encourage female kissing simply for the pleasure of male viewers. That being said the song by Katy Perry is already filled with homophobia in my opinion and Fox News has just added their additional homophobic rant. Instead of taking Katy Perry to task on being anti-queer they decide that she is pro-queer and a bad influence.

Please click to contact "The Live Desk with Martha & Trace" and tell them to stop their blatant homophobic news coverage.

Today's shout and blogspotlight goes to Atomic Gay Wonk. "News for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Democratic community". Also included on the site is a comprehensive state by state listing of LGBT publications.

Queer activism can take on many forms. Whether it be marching in a PRIDE rally, to calling your legislators to take action on specific legislation. Making a difference for the community, can and does manifest itself in many different ways. For some it means protesting and being out loud and proud. For others it's more subtle in the form of coming out to someone with more conservative views on sexual/gender identity. While some people can be be allies and make a difference simply by speaking out against misinformation and hateful rhetoric. Every little bit of activism makes a difference, the bucket to equality can only be filled if we all work together, each drop we make no matter how insignificant we think it is, helps as far as the broader goal of reaching freedom and acceptance.

What are some of the things YOU do to help promote Queer equality? Nothing is insignificant so please share, even if its as simple as just coming to this site and shooting an email or signing a petition, or just being a friend to someone in need who is coming out.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Four new AVEN (Asexual Visibility Education Networks) are starting up in New York City, San Francisco, Vancouver, and London.

An AVEN chapter would be a localized organization that focuses its efforts on visibility and education in the area it's in. Having an actual physical presence in different locations could really be of some benefit to the asexual community. And of course, starting an AVEN chapter doesn't have to be all about work - organizing meet ups to meet other asexual people and having fun with it are all really important too.

For those who are interested please e-mail Anne Macon and/or David Jay for more information:

Today's shout and blog spotlight goes to Life Issues. This blog is full of insight on issues affecting the LGBTI community. From commentary on politics, to information about safe-sex and sexual pleasure. There is a lot of great information at this blog.

"If you want to order a custom made outdoor banner (25 character limit) from McCain’s website store - price $25.00 - here are the limitations given: “Demeaning or derogatory names or phrases are not acceptable”, and “All personalized banners are subject to content approval by the John McCain 2008 campaign.” No other limitations are mentioned.

You can buy ready-made signs with “Veterans for McCain”, “Sportsmen for McCain”, “Asians & Pacific American” for McCain. And you can also get ready-made T-shirts with “Jewish Americans for McCain” or “Business Leaders for McCain”.

So when Craig Brownstein who is a Democrat, gay and a supporter of McCain’s campaign for president tried to get a sign made saying “A Proud Gay Democrat for John McCain”, he got a call from a site representative rejecting the text.

Brownstein says, “I was told it could only be personalized with names.” They would for instance, accept “Craig and Doug for John McCain."

If you have any "customer service inquiries" you can contact the John McCain for President Store below:

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

"An appearance by Florida State Democratic Rep. Darryl Rouson (formerly Republican) on a talk show discussing adoption by same-sex couples has been raising eyebrows.

Said Rouson: "I think it is wrong to allow adoptions of children by gay and lesbian couples. It sends a wrong message early to a child during formative years that’s hard to overcome just by sitting down and talking to them."

As well as, "I think lesbianism and homosexuality is morally wrong. The law is supposed to discriminate sometimes, in some respects, it is supposed to discriminate against social order and anarchy."

"Gay Panic" is when a crime is committed against an individual and the perpetrator claims temporary insanity out of a so called homosexual panic frenzy. Often the defense team claims the perpetrator was subject to unwanted romantic and/or sexual advances by the victim.

Transgender is a term used for people who do not fit the gender role assigned at birth (male or female), as well as the role traditionally held by society.

Sex Does NOT Equal Gender:People often get these two terms confused because they are similar yet in reality they are entirely different. Sex is the biological genitalia we are born with, either male, female, or intersex(combination of male/female genitalia). Gender is how we identify and is a social/biological construct, so one may have the parts of a male yet their mind, body, and spirit identifies as a female.

The Gender Continuum:Like sexuality, gender identity lies on a continuum. Most people identify with the gender corresponding to their biological sex of male or female. However, some people fall along this continuum. For example one may be fully comfortable in their female gender identity but they may exhibit more masculine traits. In reality there are as many genders as there are people on the planet, we each view ourselves and our roles differently and there is no unifying code of gender.

*Male ------------------------------------------------------Female*

Transgender is an umbrella term for people exhibiting gender variant behavior and is used for transvestites, drag queen/kings, transsexuals, and sometimes genderqueer.

Definitions:Transvestite-Someone who wears the clothing of the opposite sex (AKA - Crossdresser). An individual whose gender identity may or may not match their birth sex.

Drag Queen/King-A drag queen is a biological male who impersonates a female, and a drag king is a biological female who impersonates a male. Drag is usually done for entertainment purposes and does not necessarily reflect the persons desire to live as a male or female.

Transsexual-A person who desires to live as the opposite sex. Some choose to undergo elective surgery or take hormones to have their sex match their gender identity. Pre-operative Transsexuals are those who have not undergone surgery. Post-Operative Transsexuals have undergone surgical procedures. Non-operative are transsexuals who choose not to undergo surgery. Most transsexuals who have transitioned classify as male or female but some identify as transman, or transwoman.

Genderqueer-Individuals who self-identify as gender queer may consider themselves to be both male and female, androgynous, being neither male or female, or falling completely outside of the gender binary spectrum.

Sexual Orientation Does NOT Equal Gender Identity:Sexual orientation and gender identity are two completely separate concepts. Transgender people can be gay, straight, bisexual, or asexual. Just the same that gay/lesbian people may have no issue with their gender identity and their gender fits their biological sex. One's gender identity or sexual orientation has no influence on the other.

Transphobia:This is the fear of gender variant people. Many people do not understand transgender people and are disgusted, scared, or don't understand, instead of seeking to educate themselves on the topic they look to harass, tease, or physically cause harm to trans-folks.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The latest homophobic rant we have received on this blog here in light of my blog entry on McDonald's.

"You Nasty, Dirty, Freaks need to stay out of public & weather you think it or not most of America doesn't want you here! You are so quick to judge & call people homophobes, but these are just people who know right from wrong! CHILDREN don't need to be exposed to such trash, McDonalds is a FAMILY place, not a queer bar. You people take something that is meant to be a beautiful thing & PERVERT IT!!! GO TO EUROPE"

Since this anonymous hater tells queers to goto Europe, it encourages me to promote the following website...

A married lesbian couple in Solano county in California have had their rainbow pride flag defaced 5 times. The first attack on the flag was with coffee, and has escalated to motor oil. The police have not responded to the couples complaints about this hate crime. The couple has installed security cameras on their property and they and their neighbors are fearful for any possible escalation.

Today's shout and blog spotlight goes to Some Notes on Living. You'll find topics ranging from "social and political change, consciousness raising , and education. Some of the authors, are gay, lesbian, TG (androgynous, Transsexual or cisgendered."

Monday, August 4, 2008

"Turner Syndrome" is one of the causes of intersexuality. It occurs in one out of every 2,500 female births and is when instead of two XX chromosomes only one X chromosome is present. In rarer cases if the other X chromosome is present it is not functioning properly.

"In light of the recent and offensive statements by McCain on the right of same-sex couples to adopt, Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council, wrote the following to the Obama campaign:

"As a lesbian mother and the executive director of Family Equality Council, the national organization working to ensure equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families by building community, changing hearts and minds and advancing social justice for all families, I know how hard parents work to raise happy, healthy children. Regardless of their sexual orientations and gender identities, regardless of how many parents or caregivers are present in a family, all parents begin each day with their children at the forefront of their thoughts. On behalf of diverse families, I ask for your plan to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all of the loving families you seek to represent... These families want to know how your administration will address their needs. What policies and positions will you take to make sure that all loving families are recognized, respected, protected and celebrated? How will you lead all families to a brighter future?"

This afternoon the Obama campaign posted excerpts from a response from Barack Obama himself which reads as follows:

"While we live in a nation that is enriched by a vast array of diverse traditions, cultures and histories, it is our commonality that most defines us. The desire to build a life with a loved one, to provide for a family and to have children who will grow and thrive -- these are desires that all people share, regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. My own experience has taught me this lesson well. I was born to a single mother, my devoted grandparents helped raise me, and then I married the woman of my dreams and had two beautiful daughters.

We know that the cost of the American dream must never come at the expense of the American family. For decades we’ve had politicians in Washington who talk about family values, but we haven’t had policies that value families. Instead, it’s harder for working parents to make a living while raising their kids. It's even harder to get a break.

That's why I'll double spending on quality after-school programs - so that you can know your kids are safe and secure. And that's why I'll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; to let parents participate in school activities with their kids; and to cover elderly care. And we'll finally put federal support behind state efforts to provide paid family and medical leave. We'll require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We'll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination. And we'll encourage flexible work schedules to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers. That's the change that working families need.

We have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it's about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.

I’ll be a president that stands up for American families – all of them."

Sunday, August 3, 2008

It's Sunday and a slow news day so I decided to list some (FREE) LGBT social networking sites I have come across that I like. The following sites are good for dating, making friends, sharing a common interest, and business networking. They are sort of like the queer myspaces of the world.

I know there are many communities specific to individual orientations/identities but I figured I would just list the ones that are most inclusive.

Feel free to list any social networking/dating sites you are part of and like...

http://www.glee.com - Gay, Lesbian, and Everyone Else (GLEE) is a great resource for finding your love, friends, or a new job! The website has forums, videos, music and more... (Another thing I like about (GLEE) is it is asexual & trans friendly).

http://www.gayster.com - Gayster is a new queer take on myspace and has just launched, it seeks to unite the LGBT community and offers member search, videos, groups, photo's, blogs, event listings and more.

http://www.connexion.org - Connexion lets you find dates and friends, get LGBT news, and find the latest party near you.

http://www.downelink.com - Downelink was created as a play on the word down low "DL" and caters mostly to African American and Latino LGBTQ populations, but is open to everyone. DowneLink offers an array of features, such as social networking, blogs, internal emails, bulletins, forums, video/audio chat and instant messaging, and video profile.

http://mogenic.com/ - Mogenic is for queer youth to connect. It offers articles, news, blogs, people search, and so much more.

http://www.thingbox.com - Mostly U.K. centered but open to the planet at large Thingbox offers popular forums, chat, groups, events, people search and more.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

The topic is critical and complex at the same time. All comments and thoughts are pure speculations, but nonetheless we must prepare for the future of our movement as genetic modifications and eugenics are becoming a reality.

Scientists are working tirelessly to find the root of sexual orientation and desire as well as gender identity and are looking into areas such as genes, hormones, and psychology and how they all intertwine in identity formation. We reported a while back about federally funded experiments to alter the sexual orientation of homosexual rams.

This research is in its early stages but there is much talk about the possibility of knowing the future with regards to a child's sexual orientation and gender identity. There are also indications that scientists will be capable of chemically altering a child to "straighten" them out.

This research proves to be a double edged sword for queers, as many of us find solace in the fact that our identities are biological, but at the same token the research also indicates the real threat that we can eventually somehow be "cured" and have non hetero-normative identities eliminated from the species.

Where do you stand on this issue? Would you go through sexual re-orientation? Would you alter your childs orientation/identity knowing the difficulties of growing up in a non-queer friendly world? Is sexual re-Orientation an ethical and valid field or is this junk science and dangerous?

"Breeder" is a slang or joking term to describe heterosexuals. It is based on the fact that homosexual relations do not lead to reproduction but heterosexual sex does. Although few in number, there have been some hate crimes done by gays on straights that have coupled the word "Breeder" in their violent and/or verbal attack on straight people.

Friday, August 1, 2008

"Dallas Transgender advocates and allies have committed to a continuing a protest at Crews Inn, a Gay bar in Dallas Texas, in response to the expulsion of a transgender woman from the bar on Tuesday July 15, 2008."

Today's blog spotlight and shout goes to our friend who frequently visits here. Cracker Lilo's Front Porch is a great blog that addresses activism, NASCAR, paganism, LGBT, as well as political issues. So whether you are a straight witch, or a queer racer, or just like me someone who enjoys reading interesting material, head on over...

The government of France is planning on using a new database called EDVIGE which brings into serious question of whether this violates the civil liberties and privacy of citizens within the nation. The program is to be used by the French intelligence as well as police, however a great deal of personal information is being recorded by the database including but not limited to sexual orientation, HIV status, political identification, physical characteristics, ethnicity, moral/religious affiliation, employment, and location.

A large mobilization effort has begun calling for a withdrawal of the file. Thousands of people have signed online as well as in person petitions and 170 organizations, trade unions, and political parties have signed on demanding a stop to this program.

Below is an online petition from the Associative & Trade Union Network asking the French government to stop EDVIGE. The petition is in French, for our readers who are proficient go ahead and click.EDVIGE petition (En Francais)

Gay men used to have several codes and slangs to make their sexuality known to other potential gay men. One slang is "Friend of Dorothy" or FOD which was a way of asking a potential stranger if they were gay without risking violence or embarrassment if they weren't. The term originates from the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy was considered a gay icon because of her openness to people who were different.